#315Albums – No. 005 – Love’s <em>Forever Changes</em> (1967)

#315Albums is a list of 315 albums that appear on both the Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list, as well as the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die book, edited by Robert Dimery. At its best, it is a representation of some of the greatest music ever released; at its worst, it is a journey through the history of music that the majority see as important, influential, and/or relevant. If nothing else, these albums are worth experiencing at least once to get a better understanding of music, which is why we are working to complete all #315Albums.

No. 005

“The third record by [singer Arthur Lee’s] biracial L.A. band is wild and funny and totally pioneering: folk rock turned into elegant Armageddon with the symphonic sweep and mariachi-brass drama of ‘Alone Again Or’ and ‘You Set the Scene’.”

There is no doubt in my mind that this album helped to create at least one religious cult in the late 1960s or early 1970s. This was just an unsettling experience. It starts out like it may be an album about love, but then transforms into something else entirely. It takes a few songs to really get going, but once it does, it’s eerie, odd, and not something I enjoyed listening to. Reading about the album after listening to it, it looks like it was meant to be humorous. I suppose one might say that, but it feels more “sacrificial cult” than “haha, you crazy kids” to me. Did it have an imact on me? You bet. Was it a positive impact? Not at all.

Branden has been a film fan since he was young, roaming the halls of Blockbuster Video, trying to find the grossest, scariest looking VHS covers to rent and watch alone in the basement. It wasn’t until recently, though, that Branden started seeking out the classics of cinema, and began to develop his true passion for the art form. Branden approaches each film with the unique perspective of having studied the art from the inside, having both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in acting. He has been a film critic since 2010, and has previously written for Inside Pulse Movies, We Love Cult, and Diehard Gamefan. His biggest achievement as a film critic, to date, has been founding Cinefessions and turning it from a personal blog to a true film website, housing hundreds of film and television reviews, and dozens of podcasts.